Pittsburgh, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Pittsburgh, PA?

In the Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,510 a year ($21.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,470 of these jobs there. That is 8% below the $49,650 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,340 and $61,030; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,350 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Pittsburgh, PA at a glance

Median salary

$45,510$21.88 per hour · $3,793 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,340$17.95/hr
25th percentile$39,650$19.06/hr
75th percentile$51,480$24.75/hr
90th percentile$61,030$29.34/hr
Jobs in this metro3,470Location quotient 0.63 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here8% belowAll-jobs median $49,650
Against Pennsylvania5% belowStatewide median $47,730
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $46,420

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Forklift operator salary in Pittsburgh, PA after taxes

$45,510
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,510
Net 82%
Fed 7%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,350After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,113Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,437Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,281 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,397 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,482 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Pittsburgh, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$17.95/hr$3,112$37,340$31,036
25th percentile$19.06/hr$3,304$39,650$32,822
MedianMedian$21.88/hr$3,793$45,510$37,350
75th percentile$24.75/hr$4,290$51,480$41,964
90th percentile$29.34/hr$5,086$61,030$49,344

Is $45,510 a good salary in Pittsburgh, PA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for forklift operators next to both.

Median household income$75,762Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)94.75.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household60.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Forklift operator pay in Pittsburgh, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Pittsburgh, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area was $45,510 in May 2025, about $3,793 a month or $21.88 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $47,730, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Pittsburgh, PA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Pittsburgh, PA was $21.88 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.95 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.34.

How many forklift operators work in Pittsburgh, PA?

BLS estimated 3,470 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.63 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Pittsburgh, PA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Pittsburgh, PA run from $37,340 at the 10th percentile to $39,650 at the 25th, $51,480 at the 75th, and $61,030 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Pittsburgh, PA?

On a median gross salary of $45,510, an estimated $37,350 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,437 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,160 (an effective rate of 17.9%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Pittsburgh, PA?

On the median annual salary of $45,510, gross monthly income is $3,793. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,113 per month (or $1,437 every two weeks).

Is $45,510 a good salary in Pittsburgh, PA?

At $45,510, the median salary for forklift operators is 60.1% of the Pittsburgh, PA median household income ($75,762). It is 8% below the $49,650 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 94.7, so prices here run 5.3% below the U.S. average.